Must have been there on an off night?
Reviewer: Jen
from Santa Barbara, CA
My husband and I finally decided to give this place a try for dinner after being here for a birthday party and trying some appetizers. It was a Saturday night, busy but not packed. We got seated inside right away. It took awhile for our waitress to finally come over and when she did, there were no pleasantries, it was just "Are you ready to order?" WOW! Some drinks or maybe even a hello would have been nice first? We'd been sitting there long enough that we did, in fact, know what we wanted to order so we did. The night never got better, the drinks were slammed down on our table when they did come, food came pretty quickly (from another runner) and we never saw much from our waitress again. We thought maybe it was us, but after talking to the couple next to us, they had the same feeling as well. This was some of the worst service I have ever had in a restaurant! They were busy, but not crazy, there was no need for the waitress to be running around like a chicken with her head cut off and forgetting her manners! So much for a nice relaxing dinner out that we were looking forward to after a crazy day! Might give it another try to see if we were there on an off night since the food was decent, but skeptical of the service.

Good to bad
Reviewer: Merry
from Santa Barbara, CA
Well some of the food was really good (tuna steak) the rest was all good
Service was fine......until I spilt my whole (90%) beer
Well with close to a100$ bill I was like, hey can I get another beer?
That's when the mgr. on duty was basically calling me a liar...telling me he doubted there was any beer left, and what did I expect him to do about it, well needless to say a nice dinner turned sour very fast
Unfortunately the waitress didn't know how to handle this situation, she was like ummm...do you all want another round? No I wanted another beer!
Poor thing I owe her a tip

Impressive on a busy Fourth of July afternoon
Reviewer: Gary
from Santa Barbara, CA
My wife and I had never been here before but were walking by late on a busy July 4 afternoon and decided to try it. Weren't expecting much because of the Tourist Zone location but we were very impressed. Love the pulled pork sandwich and the blue cheese burger. The service was wonderful -- very friendly and helpful even though the wait staff must have been stressed by the holiday crowds. I wish I'd asked for our waitress's and busboy's names so I could give them credit here. We'll be back -- with friends.

"maybe this isn't the place for you to be"
Reviewer: chris
from Santa Barbara, CA
Wanted a light meal and ordered calamari, coconut shrimp, and chowder. The shrimp were good; the chowder overly salty but otherwise tasted fine despite a less-than-generous portion. Alas, the calamari was assorted tiny chunks coated in dense breading and then over-cooked - way more dark crunchy batter than squid. Service was typical Santa Barbara - flip and distracted. Having passed by many times without trying the place, we mentioned that we'd hoped for more seafood options since we'd looked over the menu previously, and were told that it had recently changed to more steaks and burgers. OK. But then while we were calculating the 18% tip, our server quipped that "maybe this isn't the place for you to be." It felt like a clip from a Food Network don't-treat-customers-like-this episode. So she was right - like totally - never again. We'll leave it for tourists off the train.

Great Service & Great Food!
Reviewer: Shenah
from Riverside, Ca
We visited this restaurant during a day trip to Santa Barbara.The food was amazing. I would recommend the shrimp scampi and the clam chowder. Finish it off with the molten lava cake for desert. I would definitely come back when I am out here again.

great place for a rehearsal dinner!
Reviewer: Jan
from Kahuku, Hawaii
Our son got married in Santa Barbara last weekend. We live in Hawaii so it was kind of tough to figure out where to have the rehearsal dinner. We had lunch at Bay Roadhouse Bar & Grill during the summer and decided to have the dinner there. Everyone was super helpful in planning (mainly we talked to Cheryl) and when we got there for the dinner we were pleasantly surprised! The tables were pretty with flowers, plenty of heat lamps for us thin blodded people (it was a chilly night for sure!) the waithelp were excellent and we heard from every single person who attended that they loved the food! I definitely had a great experience and would recommend this restaurant for a group get together of any sort!

Bay Roadhouse and Amtrak
Reviewer: CarolAnn
from Santa Barbara, CA
Take the train to Santa Barbara and walk across the street to the Bay Roadhouse for Happy Hour. Sheryl the bartender is fun and makes awesome drinks!! A great way to enjoy Happy Hour without driving.

Most amazing salmon of my life
Reviewer: Megan
from Santa Barbara, CA
Some friends and I tried out the Bay Roadhouse for the first time last night and was beyond impressed. Travis at the bar was so friendly and helpful, and our food was to die for. Literally the best salmon I've ever eaten (ordered it blackened) with mashed potatoes, and the clam chowder bread bowl was incredible. We've been talking about it all day - it's definitely our new "spot."

Great breakfast on patio - love the champagne bottle servic.
Reviewer: Bonnie
from Santa Barbara, CA
What a great location. Had breakfast on the patio. We ordered the breakfast burrito and huevos rancheros. Very big portions and very tasty. The waiters were very friendly and fast. We enjoyed our bucket of iced champagne and the beautiful day

Great place to eat
Reviewer: Cooper
from Livermore Ca
First time in Santa Barbara. Looking for a place to eat with great seafood good prices. Found all that at Bay Roadhouse Bar & grill. Seafood was excellent drinks great and the service was supurb. Would recommend eating there.

Laid Back and Relaxing Place
Reviewer: Annie
from Santa Barbara, CA
We have probably had dinner or happy hour drinks here ten times, so obviously we like it. I still can not remember the restaurants name, I would consider something shorter.

Worst service I ever experienced in the States
Reviewer: Tomke
from Bremen, Germany
The restaurant looked nice and we wanted to eat fish. Bad idea. The Service was poor. The waitress ignored us. When we finally got to order (took 15 minutes) she did not want to answer my question about the way to get the fish cooked. I am German and don't know all the english words written on the menue, so I asked her to explain it to me. When the food came it was difficult for us to get proper forks, because they ignored us again. They brought parts of us cake forks? Getting the bill took another 10 minutes. The only nice and proper service employee was the guy who cleaned the tables. He did not ignore us at all.

Nice place to chill out
Reviewer: Brian Day
from London - England
We stumbled onto this place when having a couple of days in SB. Nice laid back and relaxed atmosphere, good friendly staff (especially the girl from Peru) and nice beer. We enjoyed late afternoon happy hour drinks on the patio listening to nice music. This bar really suited us and went back there on our return San Francisco.

A very happy hour
Reviewer: Justine
from Santa Barbara, CA
Was here last Thursday for the first time to meet a large group for happy hour. It had been quite a warm day, but by 5:30-ish, almost the whole patio was in shade and was just perfect. It has a very pleasant atmosphere, with rustic nautical decor. Even though it's right against the street and parking lot, the walls around the patio are just high enough to block out what you don't want to see and let you see the trees and sky above. The food is mostly seafood, which isn't my favorite, but the happy hour menu had good deals on other things too, including chips & very tasty salsa for $2 and pints of Pacifico for $3! A friend had the potato skins, which were so-so, and I had an order of pulled pork sliders for $6, which were pretty good although the buns were a little too heavy. Our server, Maria from Peru, was very attentive and handled our large group with grace and a ready smile. I will definitely go back for happy hour!

Great experience!
Reviewer: Ron
from Santa Rosa, CA
Had a late dinner at the Bay Roadhouse the other evening when we were visting SB and were very impressed with the food! The paella was excellent and the fish and chips amazingly good! All of the servers were friendly and very helpful and the orders were quick to come out of the kitchen. Great patio, too! Would definitely recommend and we'll be back the next time we're in town!

Really? Nice cafeteria food...
Reviewer: Christine
from Santa Barbara, CA
I'm not quite sure why you'd open a restaurant if you're just going to serve average food at best. We had the guacamole bacon burger, sliders, and wings--all were fairly dry, average tasty--like I said, nice cafeteria food at best. Service was extremely slow and the server's excuse was "it's my 3rd day" (implying that they don't train you beforehand?)

LOVE THE NEW MENU
Reviewer: PAT SCHALLA
from Santa Barbara, CA
THIS IS A PERFECT PLACE FOR GALS TO GET TOGETHER FOR LUNCH. IF IT IS HOT YOU CAN ENJOY THE PATIO OR IF IT IS COLD THERE IS A WONDERFUL FIREPLACE INSIDE. A FEW OF US HAD SUMMERLAND SALADS, SOME HAD CALAMARI, SOME HAD A TURKEY BURGER WITH WHOLE WHEAT BUN AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST SHRIMP COCKTAIL...WINE LIST WAS TO OUR LIKING AND THE SERVICE WAS PERFECT. WE HAVE BEEN BACK THREE TIMES AND REALLY LIKE THE NEW MENU...

Yes! Finally!
Reviewer: Trisha
from Santa Barbara, CA
This is a really nice place. My boyfriend and I have eaten here a few times. The gal who works behind the bar is just super nice and helpful. The bar/happy hour food is pretty good. The atmosphere is very beachy with a nice fireplace and beautiful bar area. We ate on the patio one night and we were the only ones out there and the staff couldn't have been more accomodating with heaters. I have twice had the halibut fish and chips which was great. We also came in one night when there was a big basketball game on and it was packed which is nice to see but with a great fun crowd, not the young college crowd, a more mature crowd which we like. Cheers.

New cook?
Reviewer: Jen
from Santa Barbara, CA
I've been a couple times and the first few the food was pretty good. Last night I went with a group of about 5 people and we all had a bad experience. The calamari isn't what you'd expect, it's more like calamari steaks, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but they had no taste and were chewy. I got fish tacos which I've had before and liked, this time the breading was undercooked so it just tasted like flour. The only good dish we received were the ribs. I was extremely disappointed and will probably not be returning.

Great food...and great service!
Reviewer: Jen
from Ventura, CA
My girlfriend and i decided to pop in a check out the new bay roadhouse on Thursday night and we were very pleased!! I had the special for the evening (shrimp scampi) which was amazing and my girlfriend had the ceviche, which she loved. The service was great the entire staff was very friendly and made us want to come back the next time we are in town!!

Fabulous food and service!!!!
Reviewer: Katie
from Fresno, CA
First time eating at this restaurant, and we were very impressed. The quality of the food was superb as well as the presentation. The service was outstanding. We were checked on by our waitress and others frequently. However, it was not disruptive to our meal. The menu selection had a good variety and the prices were reasonable. Very friendly, laid back environment! We would definitely eat here again and highly recommend it.

great place
Reviewer: Jess
from Santa Barbara, CA
The food was amazinggg and cheap.My boyfriend I and had lunch for 25$.must try fish tacos and crab melt...service was good! They had the best reggae songs playing, great place!

For Jack Below..
Reviewer: Roger
from Santa Barbara, CA
What exactly was it about the name "Bay Roadhouse Bar and Grill" that screamed out "fine dining" to you? I've been in a few times, it's a bar/roadhouse scene with food. The food was competent and decent, nothing amazing, But the bar and music was fun. The bartender got my drinks made, the cooks cooked my food, and the servers got it there-no problems. Hint: for fine dining, have you heard of Seagrass, or Julienne? Just sayin'.....

Walked in...Walked out
Reviewer: Jack
from Santa Barbara, CA
Four of us dropped in last Saturday and we were very anxious to dine here. The music was louder than Madison's and Sharkees. The hostess said it was always that loud. To bad for them, we went over to the Enterprise. Not sure what kind of clientele mixes fine dining and loud rock.

NOT the Bay Cafe
Reviewer: Geoff H
from Santa Barbara, CA
Went on Friday at 5 pm for happy hour. Apparently only 3 hitop and a few other select tables are "happy hour qualified" on the patio, others adjacent are not - how weird (even the server couldn't explain it). Ordered a favorite of the Bay Cafe - paella. It was tasteless and the $16 entree was small served in an 8" boat plate more like an appie. The entre side offered on the menu was apparently a misprint. No side. The $9 crab cake appie was 2 thick very small silver dollar sized cakes that looked appetizing but were not. Again just tasteless (even the sauce had no flavor). The wait staff was uninformend (offfering wines they did not have) and slow on the patio. And $10 for a 5 oz SB Chard is a rip. The burgers are served on plain white supermarket buns and not even toasted. More blah. We will not be back.

Refreshing new local hangout
Reviewer: Robert
from Santa Barbara, CA
Best. Ambiance, outdoor seating, attentive service, smell of the ocean, great food!
First time and can't wait to come back. Dave Matthews on the speakers. Two thumbs up

great new place in sb
Reviewer: Andrew
from Santa Barbara, CA
Best Sliders ever tasted. Do yourself a favor and head to this place for happy hour or dinner. Great atmosphere, great drinks and definitely amazingly good at casual prices.

Great Food but HORRIBLE service
Reviewer: Megan
from Lancaster, CA
We walked into the place and noticed sign that says "Please seat yourself", however, a worker came over and said we could sit wherever we liked and he grabbed menus to follow us to a table. We choose the booth closest to the door because all the other booths were taken. The worker offered us drinks.
We thought everything was going to be good because the decor was nice and there was a good crowd. However, we were ignored for almost 10 minutes despite us looking at multiple servers for their attention. Finally, after making eye contact several times, the manager asked if we needed something. He took our order and then I noticed him walk over to a male server and point to us but reassured him that we were "taken care of".
The food came out quickly (10 minutes). We both ordered a simple cheeseburger and fries and both were delicious. Unfortunately, we struggled getting water refills, napkins and setups. Finally, when we were done we got the managers attention and he asked one of the female servers to bring our check. After another 10 minutes watching the staff avoid our table, we made eye contact with the manager and he asked if the other server brought our check yet. The server soon returned and apologized. I understand we were not her table but the manager made a mistake by not ensuring that we had a server. He should not be serving tables and if he is going to then he should actual serve us.
The total time in the place was under an hour but it was such a stressful experience that I would not go back unless some serious improvements were made! It seemed that servers had tables that were all over the place. The location isn't that large and the system that they had didn't make sense. We also noticed several tables around us struggling to get service and even just to place an order.

Good addition to SB scene
Reviewer: Ted
from Santa Barbara, CA
This is a good addition to the local restaurant scene. The halibut fish and chips were very good, as were several of the appetizers. The fish tacos were okay; the main drawback was that the fish was fried. The service was attentive, and the atmosphere was good. It's nice to have another restaurant on the beach side of State. Good choice for families.

I was hoping it would be better...
Reviewer: Kristine
from Santa Barbara, CA
The hostess was very nice...Our waiter was great. In fact, the entire staff was working incredibly hard. The place was full when we arrived due to Happy Hour specials. By the time Happy Hour ended, it wasn't nearly as crowded.
We ordered the buffalo wings which were excellent. Unfortunately, our nachos were served later -- alongside our entrees. The food was OK, but not excellent enough for the price. Worst of all, I was served a lemon drop martini that was rimmed with salt instead of sugar. I didn't mind it so much until I got to the teaspoon of salt in the bottom of the glass. A simple mistake by the bartender, I'm sure... I also would have liked to see more grilled fish options, rather than pan fried. The ambiance is very fun and lively. I would return for Happy Hour but not dinner.

Our new favorite sunday night place!
Reviewer: travis
from Santa Barbara, CA
Last Sunday we showed up right before happy hour started...and got a great table outside! I had some beers and my girlfriend had wine...we then decided to try the food and were very happy with all of our selections!!! The service was great whitney was a pleasure to meet and we even told her we def. Will be back next Sunday :)

Decent food, small glasses of wine, boring service
Reviewer: Meghan
from Santa Barbara, CA
I went to the Bay Roadhouse with my sister for a quick drink and some nibbles. We walked in and the lady at the bar gave us a warm welcome as did a hostess that was walking around. We decided to eat out on the patio because the weather was amazing. The service outside was totally different from the service inside. Our waiter seemed very uninterested in us and didn't ask us how we were or anything. He just asked us what we wanted to drink and then took FOREVER to bring it to us. No personality, rude, and slow. Not a good combo. The food was decent though, so that made it not so bad. My glass of wine could not have gotten any smaller though.

Decent Food but Music needs Work
Reviewer: steve
from Santa Barbara, CA
Worth trying, the drink prices are fair, and the food pretty good,
but PLEASE MANAGEMENT...just listen to your awful sound system. PLEASE replace it with decent quality speakers and equipment, and a little quieter and mellow-cool music. -The scratchy-cheap sounding music really makes us not want to come back...even though you have done good other things in the restaurant.
Please listen to it....be fair....and ask yourself if YOU would want a diet of those sounds when eating out.
Good luck...we will try again after a while to see if the music atmosphere has gotten adequate.

yummy burger
Reviewer: natalee
from Santa Barbara, CA
We decided to try out the Bay Roadhouse on a Saturday afternoon. Ordered the cheese burger, which was actually really good. The atmosphere was clean but also very local-authentic feeling for a Seafood joint. Good prices on beer and wine too. Try it out! :-)

Fun!
Reviewer: rlene
from Santa Barbara, CA
We went for happy hour and were accidently sat outside where they only serve dinner. They immediately resat us and our service was wonderful!! The food was good, generous portions, and the overall experience was just... Fun!

Great Move!
Reviewer: Jill
from Santa Barbara, CA
This place is great, it really feels like a locals place that has been there forever! I love the lively atmosphere and the funky decorations. tons of stuff to look at, it'll definitely take multiple trips to look at it all. The food was absolutely great too, with tons of things to choose from. I've gone both for dinner and just for appetizers, and leave satisfied each time. Service is super friendly and casual, which fits the place perfectly. I would definitely recommend trying it out if you havent yet, and i'll be back again for sure!

NEED OF CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING
Reviewer: Jennifer
from Santa Barbara, CA
Called to speak with a manager, whoever answered was rude and blunt supposedly took a message but then did not ask for my phone number to return the call and hung the phone up promptly without any assurance. I do not even want to call back...

Good enough but needs improvement
Reviewer: carol
from Santa Barbara, CA
This place has a very ambitious menu with lots of variation -- something for everyone. The waitstaff is friendly and nice but otherwise lacking (didn't check back, had to ask for wine that was ordered early on, no water, etc) AND they have no bread other than mini hamburger rolls (no butter included). There is no reason for a place in SB not to have decent bread to offer for people who get entree sized salads, etc.
Food is decent, but I didn't feel it was as good as the other reviews. I'd go back but only if it was convenient, wouldn't seek it out.

Stop your train at 202 State Street
Reviewer: Kyla
from Del Mar, CA
My boyfriend and I just returned from a fun weekend in Santa Barbara. While we were there we stumbled upon a great little place for food and drinks. It's not often that I feel compelled enough to write a review for a new restaurant but Bay Roadhouse Bar and Grill is definitely noteworthy! I was instantly impressed with the fun decor and comfortable atmosphere. There is just something about the place that makes you feel right at home and that (just maybe) everyone knows your name. The drinks were exceptionally nummy, especially the margaritas! I was so impressed with the menu that I ordered way more food than I could eat and still came back the next day ---- just to try the pulled pork sliders.

Go Bay Roadhouse!
Reviewer: Kai
from San Diego, CA
The Bay Roadhouse is a great new addition to the State street scene. My girlfriend and I happened upon it during the Lakers playoffs and found a refreshingly relaxed, tasteful and lively atmosphere with quality seafood. The mango spiced mojitos are an absolute must, and the blackened scallops over pesto ravioli were also delicious. The staff were all very friendly, attentive, and also had great recommendations for top notch cocktail selections.

food was great and service was awesome!
Reviewer: Marie
from Santa Barbara, CA
My husband and I decided to try a new place to eat last Friday. So we decided to stop by and check out bay roadhouse, and we are glad we did!! Our server whitney recommended a great wine and helped us decide on which entree we would enjoy, she was great and so was the food! We are so glad this area of state street has such a great addition, and we can't wait to come back!

Great new place!
Reviewer: Mikey
from Santa Barbara, CA
I'm so happy there's a new option in this area. The restaurant before this one in the same location wasn't all too great. As mentioned below, this being next to Union Ale and Fish Enterprise has really improved this area along with the new wine tasting areas and change of Reds into a wine/tapas place. VERY happy that the cheesy Couches bar with the soft white insane asylum walls is gone. I had a 2 simple menu items (salad and a sandwich) and didn't try any big main courses. The menu is nearly the same as the Bay Cafe but the location and decor are much much better, with outdoor seating and a fireplace. Friendly staff, too.

Way to go!
Reviewer: Joshua
from Santa Barbara, CA
I was a little bummed Bay Cafe was moving from it's original location, but thank goodness it happened! The new digs are way more lively, and the food - especially the seafood is amazing as ever! If you haven't been yet, you're missing out!

Good food, great vibe & nice people work here!
Reviewer: Mike
from Santa Barbara, CA
What a great time. The decor is cool and the staff reflects the place perfectly...laid back but attentive and sincere. The food is reasonably priced and very well prepared. I think I'll probably opt for the halibut on the fish and chips next time as what they used on the less expensive version had a mushy texture. The menu only identifies it as a chef's choice whitefish. But there is so much more to choose from on the menu, so something else next time for me. My family was so happy with everything. We'll be back soon.

So glad lower-State has this option
Reviewer: ACS
from Santa Barbara, CA
This, along with the brewery next door, gives new life to lower State, the stretch of which used to be boarded up and sad, anyway. The food was great, especially for the money, and the service was very attentive. We had seared scallops, chicken piccatta, and fish tacos. Can't wait to see if they re-institute the happy hour that I loved so much at the Anacapa location. I like the new larger menu - more to choose from, with more steak/chicken options. Will definitely be back soon.

Great food and Atmosphere, a must try!!!
Reviewer: Satish
from La Jolla, CA
After eating my first dinner at the Bay Roadhouse I was so impressed that I returned for lunch the next day! For dinner i had the almond crusted halibut and a the ceviche appetizer. The food was fresh and full of flavor. The service staff was prompt and courteous. The atmosphere was great with a buzzing bar and eclectic decor. At the bar i tried a variety of creative mojito recipes, but my favorite was definitely the spicy mango mojito. The Bay Roadhouse is a great new addition to State Street. Their menu is extensive with something for everyone!!

Great new addition to Funk Zone in SB
Reviewer: BJC
from Santa Barbara, CA
Stopped in last week to check out new addition to SB. Sat at bar and ordered the BBQ chicken pizza. It was fresh hot and had great flavor. It was second night of opening and service was great. The decor is nice and would trick any tourist thinking this place was here for the past 50 years. Can't wait to try the fish & chips next vist and sit in the large patio with a nice cocktail. Great view of the train station at the bar. Its nice to see more activity in this part of town. Go Bay Roadhouse Bar & Grill and Union Ale Brewing Company. Thank you for giving this part of town new life.